Major bus and Metro interchange to get £8m renovations
Gosforth's Regent Centre Station is in line for a major series of upgrades
A major bus and Metro interchange in Newcastle will get an £8 million upgrade- including refurbished Metro platforms and better signs.
A major bus and Metro interchange in Newcastle will get an £8 million upgrade.
Regent Centre station, in Gosforth, is in line for a substantial refurbishment, under regeneration plans agreed by the region’s leaders this week.
The works will include refurbished Metro platforms and concourse areas, removal of the “superfluous” metal roof canopy at the entrance to the station, and improved signage to make the interchange easier to navigate.
North East mayor Kim McGuinness and her cabinet agreed a £7.9 million investment package for the site on Tuesday, as part of a wider £53.6 million transport upgrade package.
Newcastle City Council leader Karen Kilgour told a North East Combined Authority (NECA) meeting in South Shields that Regent Centre had once been a safe and “thriving” hub and that the planned changes would “really improve it for the next generation”.
Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth said that people not feeling safe at public transport interchanges was a “big issue”, to which the mayor replied: “Nobody should be excluded from opportunity because they don’t feel safe getting on the Metro or bus. It is not an acceptable situation.”
The latest investment in Regent Centre comes after the recent installation of new ticket barriers.
Paul Welford, major projects director for Tyne and Wear Metro operator Nexus, said: “Regent Centre Interchange plays a vital role within Newcastle and connecting people to where they need to be. As a strategic hub on both the Metro and bus network, it’s essential it sets the standard for what modern, high‑quality and accessible public transport should look like in our region. This refurbishment scheme is about creating an interchange that supports multi‑modal travel and makes it easier for passengers to access the station, and begin region‑wide journeys.
“The investment will deliver refurbished Metro platforms and a brighter, more welcoming station concourse to improve crowd flow, both complementing the arrival of our new Metro fleet. We have already completed the installation of a new ticket gate line, which enhances customer safety and deters anti-social behaviour. Further improvements include removing the old metal roof canopy, improved signage and enhancing welfare facilities for Nexus employees.”
Also signed off at the NECA meeting were:
£2.9 million of retrospective funding for the new pedestrian and cyclist bridge over the A19 in County Durham, connecting Seaham Garden Village with Jade Business Park and Dalton Park;
£5.7 million to develop a pipeline of other transport schemes across County Durham;
£7 million to accelerate maintenance works on Tyne and Wear Metro infrastructure;
£22.7 million of highways maintenance funding for council across the region to tackle potholes;
£600,000 to extend the offer of free travel passes for care leavers aged 18 to 25 for the 2026/2027 financial year.